Viscous governor device

ABSTRACT

A governor device for a musical movement or the like comprising a rotatably mounted driven member, a drive system for effecting angular rotation of said driven member including a hand windable spring means, gear transmission means connecting said spring means to said driven member and damping means consisting of an enclosed chamber for a viscous damping material and a paddle assembly cooperating with said viscous material to control rotation of said driven member at a predetermined angular rate.

United States Patent Cotey 1451 Sept. 5,1972

[54] VISCOUS GOVERNOR DEVICE [72] Inventor: John Cotey, 27 West End Ave.,

l-laddonfield, NJ. 08033 [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 189,660

Switzerland ..84/95 Switzerland ..84/95 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-.lohn F. Gonzales Attorney-Dexter N. Shaw et al.

1571 ABSTRACT A governor device for a musical movement or the like comprising a rotatably mounted driven member, a drive system for effecting angular rotation of said driven member including a hand windable spring means, gear transmission means connecting said spring means to said driven member and damping means consisting of an enclosed chamber for a viscous damping material and a paddle assembly cooperating with said viscous material to control rotation of said driven member at a predetermined angular rate.

8 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures The present invention relates generally to a viscous governor device and more specifically to a .musical movement incorporating a new and improved viscous governor.

The conventional musical movements of the type to which the viscous governor of the present invention are especially adapted consist of a rotatably mounted picker drum having a plurality of picks on its outer periphery which cooperate with the fingers of a comb to play a particular tune when the drum is rotated. The drive system for the drum'usually includes a manually windable coil spring connected to the drum through a gear train, and a rotatably mounted vane which in combination with the gear .train effects rotation of the picker drum at a predetermined angular rate. These movements have several disadvantages or drawbacks.

For example, it has been found that the drive system is not effective in producing rotation of the drum at a substantially uniform angular rate, the rate at the beginning of the cycle being considerably higher than the rate at the end of the spring cycle, thereby producing a distorted, non-harmonius musical presentation. Additionally, the mechanical noisesin the system interfere with the musical quality. Further, the total cycle for one complete winding of the spring is relatively short. Moreover, the gear train and wind vane of the drive system of these movements are somewhat delicate and susceptible to damage, for example, during handling and shipping.

Theviscous governor of the present invention is of comparatively simplified construction and eliminates many of the problems noted above when used in a musical movement to which it is particularly adapted. In accordance with the present invention, the picker drum is hollow and has a chamber therein for a damping material of the type termed bouncing putty or silicone putty and mounted in the chamber is a paddle assembly. The picker drum is connected through a drive system to a hand windable coil spring. The assemble also includes a detent mechanism forselectively effecting rotation of the picker drum when desired. Accordingly, in operation when the detent mechanism is released to permit rotation of the picker drum through the drive system and spring, the paddle and viscous putty act in cooperation with the drive system to effect a damping action which provides a more uniform angular rotation of the picker drum than the drive systems of prior movement discussed above. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the drive system incorporates a constant force-type spring whereby the picker drum is operated at a substantially uniform angular rate for the entire cycle of operation and thus provides for better musical quality. Furthermore, the device eliminates several of the mechanical elements essential in the prior devices, thereby reducing mechanical noise and also providing an assembly which is more economical and easier to assembly. Further, the device of the present invention is of more rugged construction, thereby reducing the risk of damage during handling and shipping.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the operation and construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view through a music box incorporating a viscous governor device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view lines2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on lines3-3, 4--4 and 5-5 respectively of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the damping paddle;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an alternate end bearing assembly for the picker drum;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in section of a taken on modified form of device;

i for housing the movement 11 and a cover section 18 hinged to the lower section. In the present instance, the musical movement 11 has a power takeoff which mounts a figure such as a toy soldier 20 which rotates during operation of the musical movement and also controls operation thereof upon opening and closing the top section in a manner described in more detail hereinafter.

The musical movement assembly incorporating the viscous governor of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on the back wall of the lower section 14 of the box by means of a plurality of screw members in spaced relation to the side wall to allow space for the windup shaft 30. The details of the assembly are best illustrated in FIG. 2 and comprise a baseplate 32 which mounts on one face a conventional comb 34 having a plurality of spring fingers 36. The plate has a side extension 32a on which is supported an enclosed spring housing 38 for a conventional coil spring 40, one end of which is secured to the housing as at 42 and on the opposite end to the windup shaft 30. The actuator spring assembly includes the usual crown gear 44 connected to the windup shaft 30 through a conventional ratchet arrangement 46.

In accordance with the present invention, the picker drum assembly in the illustrated embodiment is a casting consisting of a generally cylindrical outer wall 46 mounting the picks 48 for actuating the spring fingers 36 of the comb 34. The drum has a divider wall 50 forming one end of a damping chamber 52, the opposite end of the chamber being closed by a generally v disclike end closure 54.

The picker drum and cover 54 has a circumferentially extending axially inwardly directed flange 56 of an outer dimension in relation to the end bore of the chamber 52 so that it may be press fitted in place. The end cover is formed with a spur gear 58 which meshes with the crown gear to impart rotary motion to the picker drum upon rotation of the crown gear by the coil spring 40. The cover also has a central opening 59 through which the outer terminal end of the paddle shaft projects. The paddle shaft assembly as illustrated includes an elongated shaft member 60 having in the present instance a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending fins 62, a pin projection 64 at one end which engages in a central opening 65 in the web 50 to locate the paddle assembly centrally of the damping chamber 52. The opposite end of the shaft terminates in an end portion of square cross section 66 which fits in a square opening 67 in the spring housing so that the paddle assembly remains stationary and the picker drum rotates relative thereto. The shaft is formed with a shoulder 69 to mount therebetween and the inner end wall of the closure cap 54 an annular seal 70. The annular seal 70 comprises a generally tubular body portion 71 having an angularly directed flexible fin 72 which seals with the end cap to prevent leakage of the damping material 73 from the damping chamber 52. The damping material is preferably a liquid or putty substance termed bouncing putty or silicone putty, one form of which is a silicone putty available from the Dow Corning Corporation identified by their product number XC-2-0982.

The opposite end of the picker drum has a central hub portion 80 and, in the, present instance, three circumferentially equi-spaced radial ribs 82 defining pockets 84. The hub portion has in the illustrated embodiment a central opening within which is press fitted a takeoff shaft 90 which in the present instance, is

threaded at its outer end to mount the toy figure 20. I

This shaft is journalled in a collar 94 formed integrally with the base 32 in a sleeve bearing 96.

The assembly further includes a detent mechanism 100 which, in the present instance, engages in one of the pockets 84 to prevent rotation of the picker drum when the lid 18 of the box is closed and which automatically retracts when the lid is opened to permit rotation of the picker drum and playing of a tune. In the present instance, the detent mechanism is in the form of a pin 101 having a shank portion 102 and an enlarged head 104 engagable in an opening in the collar 94, the opening being stepped to define a shoulder 95 limiting movement of the stop member upwardly as shown in FIG. 2. A coil spring 103 circumscribes the shaft and normally urges the detent mechanism to a retracted position, the position illustrated in FIG. 2. The inner end of the pin abuts the base of the toy figure 20 which in turn is sized relative to the depth of lid 18 so that as the lid 18 is closed, the figure is urged downwardly, in turn to actuate the detent mechanism against the bias of the spring 103 to the position shown in broken lines wherein the enlarged head engages in one of the pockets 82.

In the present instance, the toy figure 20 is mounted on the takeoff shaft 90 in a manner so that it normally is urged to an extended position. To this end, there is provided a post 118 mounted on the takeoff shaft 90, the upper end of which engages in a sleeve 1 19 mounted in the base of the toy figure 20. The post mounts a pin 120 which engages in diametrically opposed slots 123 in the sleeve 119 and a supplementary spring 124 is mounted in the sleeve 119 above the post to normally urge the toy figure 20 upwardly when the lid 18 is opened.

Consider now the operation of the musical move ment incorporating the viscous governor of the present invention and assume that the lid 18 is in a closed position in which event the detent mechanism engages in one of the pockets 84 to prevent rotation of the picker drum. The actuating spring 40 is now wound simply by rotation of the spring shaft 30, the ratchet arrangement 46 operating to maintain the spring in a wound condition. Now, when the cover section 18 is opened, the toy figure 20 is moved to an extended position, and the detent mechanism is retracted to the solid line position shown in FIG. 2 permitting rotation of the picker drum. The picker drum is rotated relative to the paddle assembly through the intermeshing gears 44 and 58. The damping material 73 in the damping chamber 52 cooperates with the paddle assembly to provide for a predetermined controlled angular rate of rotation of the picker drum. The drive system and damping arrangement thus combine to provide for a more uniform angular rate of rotation of the picker drum as compared with prior gear train and wind vane drive systems discussed previously and thus produce a better musical quality. Furthermore, because of the elimination of ex- .traneous mechanical parts, there is substantially no mechanical noiseinterferring with the music, and the assembly is less susceptible to damaged during handling and shipment which could impair operation of the device. In the system of the present invention, the line from power source to picker drum is more straight line as compared to the prior gear train and wind vane drive systems. The tune may be discontinued by simply closing the lid 18 whereby the detent mechanism reengages in one of the pockets 84 to prevent rotation of the picker drum.

An alternate means of mounting the picker drum in lieu of the output shaft 90 is illustrated in FIG. 7. In this instance the hub a of the picker drum is simply provided with a conical indentation 81a at its outer end face, anda pivot pin 83 having a conical tip engaging in the conical indentation 81a is mounted in the collar 94a by means of a set screw 85.

There is shown in FIG. 8 a modified form of musical movement and viscous governor assembly in accordance with the present invention. The structural details and arrangement of the viscous governor per se are identical to that described above. However, in the present instance, the actuating spring arrangement for the picker drum is in the form of a coil spring which is wound in a clockwise direction and is mounted freely on a collar 132 having its outer free end 134 secured to an enlarged hub 136 splined to the windup shaft 30a. By this arrangement, the spring is loaded by back winding it on the hub 136; that is, in a counterclockwise direction, whereby it tends to uncoil when the picker drum is released and rewind itself on the collar 132. It has been found that this constant force spring arrangement and damping arrangement provides a substantially uniform angular rate of rotation of the picker drum during the entire cycle and provides for a longer cycle of operation.

There is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 another embodiment of viscous governor in accordance with the present invention for a musical movement. In accordance with this embodiment, the windup spring and viscous governor are an integral assembly. To this end, as illustrated, the assembly includes an enclosed housing 140 for the coil spring 142, the coil spring being secured at its inner end to a shaft 144 connected by the ratchet arrangement 146 to the windup shaft 148. The spring is connected to the picker drum spur gear 150 through a crown gear 152,- an opening 154 being provided in the housing 140 to permit meshing engagement of the gears exteriorly thereof as illustrated. In the present instance, the end cap 151 of the picker drum has the spur gear 150 formed integrally therewith and terminates in a stub trunnion 153 rotatable in an opening 155 in the housing 140 for rotation therein. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing has an enlarged head portion defining the damping chamber 162 and the paddle assembly is in the form of an elongated collar 164 having diametrically opposed radially projecting tings 166. This collar is mounted over the outer ter-- 164. Now as the picker drum is released by the detent mechanism which may be similar to that described in the previous embodiment, the shaft 144 will rotate in the opposite direction to unwind the main spring 142 and the torsion spring 170 will, due to the rotation of.

the shaft 144, contract to firmly grip the shaft and thereby effect rotation'of the paddle assembly in the viscous damping material in the damping chamber 162. The damping arrangement and drive system produce a more uniform angular rotation of the picker drum during substantially its entire cycle than prior gear and wind vane drive systems. This embodiment may also incorporate the constant force spring arrangement of FIG. 9 in lieu of the coil spring '142.

lclaim:

1. A governor device for a musical movement or the like comprising a rotatably mounted driven member, a drive system for effecting angular rotation of said driven member including a hand windable spring means, gear transmission means connecting said spring means to said driven member and damping means consisting of an enclosed chamber for a viscous damping 6 material and a paddle assembly cooperating with said viscous material to control rotation of said driven member at a predetermined angular rate.

2. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said damping chamber is formed integrally with said driven member and said paddle assemble is nonrotatably mounted.

3. A governor device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said paddle assembly consists of an elongated shaft member having a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending fins, one end of said shaft member having a pin projection engageable in an opening in the driven member to permit relative rotation, and the other end of said shaft member being fixed.

4. A governor device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said driven member includes a detachable end cap and including a seal mounted on the shaft member of the paddle assembly and having a flexible lip engageable with the interior of said end cap.

Y 5. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said driven member is in the form of a picker drum having a plurality of picks on its outer periphery engageable with spring fingers of a comb to provide a musical tu e on rotatio ofthe ic erdr m.

6. Bt govemor evice a e aime in claim 1 wherein said spring means is a constant force spring, thereby to effect substantially uniform angular rate of rotation of said driver member.

7. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means is mounted on a shaft, one terminal end of said shaft mounting said paddle assembly.

8. A governor device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the means mounting said paddle assembly to said spring shaft comprises a torsion spring having a tang extension at one end engaging said paddle assembly whereby when the spring shaft is rotated in one direction to load the spring, the shaft is partly rotatable in said torsion spring, and when the spring unwinds, the torsion spring firmly grips said shaft to effect rotation of the paddle assembly in said viscous material.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE- CERTIFICATE OF CORECTION Patent No. 3 Dated September 5, 1972 Inventor (s) JOHN COTEY It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said-Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 15; "mounted vane" should read --mounted wind v ane- Column 6, line 28; "driver should read "driven-- Signed and sealed this 20th day of November 1973.

(SEAL) Attest': V

EDWARD M .FLETCHER,JR.. RENE o. TEG'IMEYER Atztesatingzy Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 GOVERNMENT PRINTIKG OFFICE: I96 0-368-334.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE- CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION P ten N ,626 Dated I September 5, 1972 Inventor (s) JOHN COTEY It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 15; "mounted vane" should read --mounted wind vane- Column 6; line 28; 'driver should read "driven-- Signed and eealed this 20th day of November 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD MQFLETCHERJR. RENE 'o. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents FORM po'mso (w'sg) useoMM-Dc poem-P09 5. GOVERNMENT ERIN TIPQG OFFICE 2 '9' O SGG'S l. 

1. A governor device for a musical movement or the like comprising a rotatably mounted driven member, a drive system for effecting angular rotation of said driven member including a hand windable spring means, gear transmission means connecting said spring means to said driven member and damping means consisting of an enclosed chamber for a viscous damping material and a paddle assembly cooperating with said viscous material to control rotation of said driven member at a predetermined angular rate.
 2. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said damping chamber is formed integrally with said driven member and said paddle assemble is non-rotatably mounted.
 3. A governor device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said paddle assembly consists of an elongated shaft member having a pair of diametrically opposed radially extending fins, one end of said shaft member having a pin projection engageable in an opening in the driven member to permit relative rotation, and the other end of said shaft member being fixed.
 4. A governor device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said driven member includes a detachable end cap and including a seal mounted on the shaft member of the paddle assembly and having a flexible lip engageable with the interior of said end cap.
 5. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said driven member is in the form of a picker drum having a plurality of picks on its outer periphery engageable with spring fingers of a comb to provide a musical tune upon rotation of the picker drum.
 6. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means is a constant force spring, thereby to effect substantially uniform angular rate of rotation of said driver member.
 7. A governor device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means is mounted on a shaft, one terminal end of said shaft mounting said paddle assembly.
 8. A governor device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the means mounting said paddle assembly to said spring shaft comprises a torsion spring having a tang extension at one end engaging said paddle assembly whereby when the spring shaft is rotated in one direction to load the spring, the shaft is partly rotatable in said torsion spring, and when the spring unwinds, the torsion spring firmly grips said shaft to effect rotation of the paddle assembly in said viscous material. 